1. Technical Field
This device relates to the ventilation of surgical casts used to immobilize a human or animal limb or the like for healing process of the bone or damaged tissue. It has been determined that by supplying air under the cast alleviates the typical irritation associated with the cast which is caused by the lack of air circulation to the skin in a free manner which is unavailable once the arm or limb has been encased in the cast material.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different structures and methods in an attempt to supply ventilation to the skin under a cast, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,731, U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,477, U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,220 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,710.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,731 a cast ventilating arrangement is disclosed wherein a vent body is positioned within the cast and supplies air to a continuous layer of cotton padding wrapped around the body portion under the cast. The vent has multiple openings in a convex cone extending from a pair of oppositely disposed support and positioning tabs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,477 is directed to an orthopedic cast which has a series of air vents which communicate with a stockingetts placed on the limb over which a cast is applied. An apertured sponge plug is positioned in each of the vents to protect the skin from foreign material infiltration.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,220 a cast ventilating apparatus is shown having a generally disk shaped base with an upstanding tubular portion. A plurality of elongated spacers within the base define air passageways that communicate with a stockingett to provide ventilation at one point thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,710 is directed to a ventilated cast structure that uses a compact fibrous layer of material positioned against the skin of the body part. Conditioned air is supplied under positive pressure to a stockingett embedded within the cast body. The air passes through the fibrous layer around the limb and vents outwardly at the terminal ends of the cast.